Stellar defender Koray Yesilli made an immediate impact on the Blue Demon program last fall.

Feb. 18, 2014

CHICAGO – The first opportunity for a sneak preview into the 2014 DePaul men’s soccer program takes place on March 1 when the Blue Demons open their spring schedule against Lindsey Wilson University in Bloomington, Ind.

That match will be followed a showdown against the Hoosiers who won the NCAA title two years ago.

“We’ve been involved with offseason training for six weeks, working with our new group of players and monitoring their development,” said Blue Demon soccer coach Craig Blazer. “The group is learning and making progress.

“Our spring schedule is a good opportunity for the players to be evaluated and for the coaches to provide them with feedback on their progress. The matches stretch out over the course of three months, and it’s a good chance to find out where we stand.”

After spring break, DePaul will make its annual trip to Notre Dame and play matches there against Valparaiso and Western Michigan on April 6. Six days later, it’s the Chicago Cup.

“That’s always huge with local college rivals facing each other,” Blazer said about the April 12 tournament at Northwestern. “We’ll take on Illinois-Chicago in the first game and either Loyola or Northwestern in the second game.

“After Easter, we’ll play an April 27 match at Toyota Park’s training field against Roosevelt and finish up on May 3 with a match at the University of Chicago.”

A number of freshmen and newcomers earned extensive playing time last fall.

“Our younger players and new guys gained valuable experience last fall and made some valuable contributions to the program,” Blazer said. “This will be a chance to augment that experience while continuing to develop their soccer skills.

“I really enjoyed this winter getting to know each of the players better and spending more time with them in one-on-one meetings. It’s been a fun process going through these challenging training sessions."